Limit tickets from red-light cameras

To that end, there?s a real problem in the state?s five-year pilot program that has 25 towns handing out $85 tickets for red-light violations to drivers based solely on photos taken by cameras perched above traffic lights.

Every experienced driver knows that with green lights changing to yellow and yellow lights changing to red there are split-second decisions to make about proceeding or braking. What's the safest thing to do? Every intersection is a little different as far as road conditions, visibility, and average speed upon approach, among other factors.

To that end, there's a real problem in the state's five-year pilot program that has 25 towns handing out $85 tickets for red-light violations to drivers based solely on photos taken by cameras perched above traffic lights.

Of particular concern are right turns as lights change, when the safest course of action can sometimes be to proceed through a turn rather than slamming on the brakes, risking a rear-end collision. It's not surprising, after all, that in the latest report from the state Department of Transportation, numbers show that while right-angle (T-bone) crashes are down by 15 percent at intersections with cameras, rear-end crashes are up by 20 percent. That's consistent with results in other states as well.

The problem with enforcement is that there is no mitigation or consideration of the circumstances - including how long a driver's car was stopped before turning - when tickets are mailed to car owners based solely on camera images.

If New Jersey towns were only in this for the safety they tout and not for money, they'd donate the hundreds of thousands of dollars they collect from these tickets to organizations promoting driver safety. That isn't happening, of course, because this is ultimately all about the cash.

There have been numerous solutions proposed. State Sen. Shirley Turner, D-Mercer, has called for making right turns on red illegal at all intersections where cameras are used to issue tickets. That, she says, would make the cameras unprofitable for towns just looking to pick drivers' pockets. But that also needlessly eliminates a rule that exists for a reason, to help traffic flow.

A better solution comes from Tennessee, where state legislators responding to fed up constituents enacted a law that says only a police officer can issue a citation for not fully stopping at a red light when taking a right turn. Cameras can now only be used to ticket drivers who run straight through a red light or turn left.

Tennessee has it right, much to the chagrin of the private companies that operate these cameras and get some of the money from paid fines. If the cameras are going to stick around - and the state supposedly wants to expand their reach - then New Jersey lawmakers should consider measures like Tennessee's to restore some fairness on our roads.

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Limit tickets from red-light cameras

Every experienced driver knows that with green lights changing to yellow and yellow lights changing to red there are split-second decisions to make about proceeding or braking.

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